Pocket Diamond
by Georgy-Girl
Summary: As Jenny worries that Dennis doesn't love her, Dennis worries that Jenny has lost interest in him. Perhaps it's time for both to realise that love can be shown in many different ways.
1. Chapter 1

_**New Story! Hope you enjoy it, I think I've been watching too many romantic movies lately**_

 _..._

Gina sighed and looked at her two friends. One had a boyfriend who wasn't willing to commit, and the other wasn't even sure her boyfriend had any feelings for her. Gina's own boyfriend had departed that morning, apparently going back to the wife Gina didn't know about.

"You know what we need?"

Both women lifted their heads to look at her.

"A holiday! I've got a friend who works on a cruise ship, she'd be able to get us cheap tickets!"

Tricia shook her head, "I'd never be able to find cover."

"…There is that new locum in Whitby. He told me he doesn't have a job lined up after he finishes there this week," Jenny supplied hesitantly.

Gina grasped Tricia's hand. "Oh, go on, give him a call and see if he'll cover for you. Imagine two whole weeks in the sun with no men to worry about!"

…

The surgery had been quiet all the morning and Jenny was sat flicking through a magazine when Gina rushed in.

"Has she called that locum yet?"

"I don't know. She didn't mention it to me if she has. Why?"

"My friend can get us tickets, but there's a catch- the boat leaves at 5am tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

Gina nodded as Tricia led her patient out. Once the waiting room was empty, Tricia listen intently, then nodded. "I'll try him now. No guarantees, though."

For the next ten minutes, Gina filled Jenny in on what her friend had told her about the cruise, but they both grew silent as Tricia walked out with a serious face. After a moment, she broke into a grin. "...He said yes!"

…

Dennis sat in his car outside the surgery that afternoon looking down at the diamond ring he held in its small velvet box. He took a few deep, calming breaths before returning the box to its spot in his pocket.

When he entered the surgery the sound of Jenny singing softly to herself brought a smile to his face.

"Having a better day than me, I take it?" Dennis leant on the counter.

Jenny looked up with a smile. "Here to see the doctor?"

"You, actually. I managed to get a reservation at that new restaurant in town tonight."

"Oh." Jenny's face fell.

"Oh?"

"…I'm going away for a couple of weeks."

"Away? Where? You haven't mentioned it before."

"It was only organised properly this morning. Gina has a friend who works on a cruise ship and she managed to get us some tickets. It leaves early tomorrow morning, so we're spending the night in Scarborough."

"Well, I hope you have a good time." Dennis managed a smile that he hoped covered his disappointment.

"We could meet at the pub for a drink before I go? We're not leaving until about six o'clock."

…

A few minutes before six, Dennis pulled up in front of the pub. Still in uniform, he climbed out, disappointment flowing over him as he looked around and couldn't see any of their cars.

Jenny watched him from the doorway for a moment before calling out, "Looking for someone?"

Dennis turned and was unable to stop the smile that pulled at his lips. "I thought I'd missed you."

"Oscar booked a group of people in for dinner. Accidently, apparently, but it means we can't leave until later because Gina has to cook for them."

"Looks like we could have gone to dinner after all, then."

Jenny smiled and lowered her head, "Looks like it."

Dennis stood in front of her for a moment wondering why her attitude towards him seemed to be more difficult to read. "…Perhaps I could drive you all down to Scarborough later? No doubt you've all had a long day, and we've had a lot of accidents up that road recently."

Jenny smiled, still looking down. "Well, you wouldn't want any of us giving you more work to do would you, Sergeant."

"Jenny, that's not what I meant." He called after her, but she disappeared inside without hearing him.

…

"It's really kind of you to give us a lift, Sergeant Merton." Gina said from the backseat.

Dennis glanced at Jenny beside him, then at Gina in the rear-view mirror with a smile. "Call me Dennis, and it's my pleasure."


	2. Chapter 2

Outside the hotel that night, Jenny turned to Dennis with a smile. "Thank you. I'd better go in."

Dennis nodded and stepped forward to drop a kiss to her cheek. "I'll miss you."

Jenny offered a half smile and glanced up at him before returning to stare at her shoes. "Will you?"

Dennis frowned and lifted a hand to tuck some of Jenny's curls behind her ear. "Aye, you know I will."

"Do I, Dennis? I don't feel like I know very much at the moment. I'll see you when I get back." She returned the kiss on his cheek before walking towards the hotel.

"Jenny…"

"I'll see you when I get back, Dennis."

…

Dennis and Mike spent the next week butting heads with almost everyone they came across, including each other. They had both planned on being there when the ship arrived, but the day it was due back they were busier than they'd been every day of the last two weeks combined.

Mike kept trying to slip away to see Tricia, but aware of what he was doing, because Dennis himself was thinking about it, the sergeant wouldn't let him.

They were in the middle of an argument when someone at the counter cleared their throat. Both men turned their head and both sighed when they saw Gina stood there.

"Just thought I'd come and tell you both we're all back and well. Is Phil around?"

Mike glanced at his sergeant before replying, "He's doing paperwork in the interview room, you can go through."

"Thanks!" Gina disappeared through the door and a few moments later they heard giggling.

"...Half an hour, and then go up to the hall and speak with Lord Ashfordly's sister again."

"Thanks, Sarge!" Mike grabbed his jacket and ran out before the scot could change his mind.

…

Jenny was sat in Tricia's living room, sipping some of the wine they'd brought back with them. "I thought two weeks away would sort things out, but I'm even more confused than ever."

"He's crazy about you, Jen! Maybe he doesn't show it the way other men do, or the way you show him, but it's still as plain as day. Every time it's raining he picks you up from home or here without fail to take you where you need to go without being asked, he brings you presents-"

"Practical presents, like a bottle opener."

"Yes, because he always brings you wine, not to mention the flowers and the chocolates. He always comes to you when he's had a tough day at work, even when he can't talk about what happened. Even when we're in a group and someone else is talking, he's paying attention to you. If all that doesn't mean he loves you…"

Jenny sighed and was about to reply when she heard the front door open. She stood and was about to see who it was when Mike called out, "Only me!"

Jenny turned to Tricia with a smile. "Maybe you should take your own advice and think about what Mike does for you."

"Maybe I should."

Jenny pulled on her jacket and slipped past Mike as he entered. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Night, Jen."


	3. Chapter 3

A short time later, Dennis was making his way back to his office when the phone rang.

"Ventress!" After waiting and hearing no reply from the man who was supposed to be cleaning the cells, Dennis sighed and picked up the phone. "Ashfordly Police Station."

"Sarge? It's Mike. I didn't want to speak on the radio, because it's…Tricia just got a call from someone to go to Jenny's house. The caller said there has been a death."

Dennis went cold and only just managed to get the next words out. "A death? Did they say who?"

"They didn't even say who they were, Sarge."

"…Right, I'll meet you there." As Dennis hung up the phone, he was unable to stop his hand shaking.

…

Mike was already waiting outside Jenny's flat when his Sergeant arrived and grabbed his arm to stop him going in.

"Is it-"

"It's Jenny's neighbour, Mrs Parker. The locum has taken Jenny next door to try and calm her down. You go and see to her, I can sort things out here."

Dennis let out a shaky sigh of relief, then nodded. "Thanks, Bradley."

…

The locum Will held out a drink to Jenny but she pushed it away. "I just don't understand why she was in my flat in the first place. Can…can you tell how long she's been there?"

Will sat down and put a hand to Jenny's back, rubbing it gently. "You don't need to upset yourself with information like that right now. Have a drink, it will steady your nerves."

"I'm fine."

"You're shaking like a leaf, as anyone would if they'd come home from holiday to find that. Drink."

Jenny sighed and took the glass from him, taking a small sip.

...

Outside, Dennis hesitated, unsure if he should knock, but too impatient to wait for someone to come to the door he rushed in. "Jenny?"

At the sound of Dennis' voice, Jenny was on her feet and almost knocked the scot from his with the force of the hug she gave him as she buried her face in his jacket. He quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her and murmured reassuring words into her hair, still unsure exactly what had happened

They'd been stood there for several minutes before Dennis noticed Will still sitting on the couch. "What happened?"

"She arrived home and found the door unlocked, but went in anyway-"

"I thought maybe it was you," Jenny mumbled.

"And found her neighbour at the bottom of the stairs."

Jenny drew back a little, her face wet with tears. "I don't understand what she was doing there."

Dennis lifted a hand to brush away some of her tears as the doctor continued.

"From the state she was in, I'd say she'd been there-"

"Aye, that's enough for now. Perhaps you're needed next door?"

...

When Will had gone, Jenny let out a soft sob. "I can't go back in there again, but all my things are in there, and I don't know wh-"

"There's no need to worry about all that at the moment. Why don't you go and sit in my car and i'll go and get your case, then I can take you back to my place?"

Jenny nodded and took Dennis' hand as he led her outside.

...

Mike looked up when Dennis entered. "I think it might have been him, Sarge. It looks like a robbery was taking place, Mrs Parker interrupted him and then was either pushed or fell down the stairs."

"Do they know how long she's been there?"

"Tricia thinks it could be as long as 10 days."

Dennis nodded and gave a sigh. "I'm just going to drop Jenny off at my place, Gina is going to meet us there, and then I'll meet you back at the station. No doubt division will want in on this."

...

"If I hadn't gone this would never have happened, Gina. If I hadn't been so focussed on myself and wanting Dennis to be someone he isn't, she wouldn't have died."

"You don't know that, Jen. You could easily have been at work when it happened, it could even have been you it happened to instead. Look, why don't you take one of the pills Tricia left for you, hey? Things always seem clearer in the morning."

Jenny nodded and reached for them, but Dennis' police hat lay forgotten on the table next the bottle and tears once more sprang to Jenny's eyes. "I didn't even tell him I missed him."

Gina reached out and opened the bottle. "I promise to tell him when he gets back all about you spending the last two weeks cooped up below deck moaning that you missed him."

Jenny gave a small smile at this. "I wasn't moaning all the time."

"Only because you were too busy getting sea sick."


	4. Chapter 4

Dennis was in his office the next morning trying to get some peace away from the detectives when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a reply, Mike walked in.

"Sarge, I've just been at the surgery talking to Jenny-'

"She went in to work?"

"W…yes, Sarge, I suppose she did. But I was talking to her about Mrs Parker's daughter so we could alert her, and Jenny said there's a son as well."

"And?"

"Well apparently he's been in and out of prison for petty things, but has recently fallen into a gang."

"What's the point of telling me all this, Bradley?" Dennis asked, annoyed that everyone, including the detectives, seemed to have spent more time with Jenny than he'd been able to get.

"CID thinks there was more than one person involved in the break-in, and I thought if the son was involved it might explain why Mrs Parker went in rather than calling us, and why she was covered in a blanket."

"…Ok, go and see what you can find out about who's in this gang."

…

When Dennis entered the surgery that afternoon, a lady was stood at the pharmacy window telling Jenny about her son who was about her age and would be coming to stay. Jenny was staring absently at the appointment book in front of her until the lady raised her voice.

"Sergeant Merton! Don't usually see you about. I heard about what happened to my dear Mrs Parker and-"

"The same dear Mrs Parker you asked one of my constables to arrest a few months ago?"

"Well, I…." She grew red in the face and snatched her bottle of pills from the counter before bustling out.

As soon as the door shut, Jenny let out a laugh. "You do realise she's the town gossip and she'll probably go around telling anyone who will listen how horrible you are."

"Aye well, I don't think I've ever been very popular anyway."

"Maybe not with everyone, but you are with me."

Dennis returned Jenny's smile as he leant on the counter and put a hand onto of hers. "I just came in to see how you are."

"I'd probably be a lot better if your detectives weren't in here every half an hour to ask me things."

"Aye, sorry. They've just about taken over the whole station because apparently us locals know nothing about police work."

"Well, at least you get peoples name's right. That tall one keeps calling me Jean!"

…


	5. Chapter 5

Dennis entered the pub that evening hesitantly, worried the CID men would be staying there, and he was dismayed to see one of them sat at the bar talking to Jenny. The scot considered leaving, but he had promised he would come because Jenny had said she wanted to talk.

When Jenny had called him earlier, Dennis was almost positive she was going to tell him they didn't work together and that she'd found someone else. He'd convinced himself that her reaction to him the night before had only been because she was upset and he was someone familiar.

That belief was strengthened when he saw the detective reach out and rub Jenny's arm comfortingly and Jenny offered a smile. Taking a deep breath, Dennis approached the bar. 'Usual please, Gina."

The detective turned in his seat. "Ah, Sergeant Martin! Didn't think you were the sort to socialise after work."

"Aye well you'd know, having spent a whole day with me."

Jenny suppressed her smile at this and reached out to fix Dennis' collar. "Well, Sergeant Martin, we should go soon, I managed to book a table at that restaurant you like."

The detective took a sip of his beer and raised an eyebrow. "If you're having some sort of discussion about what happened, my boss and I should be there."

Dennis lowered his head with a smile as jenny replied, "Actually, it's a date."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

…

When they were alone in the car Jenny grew quiet and her quick smile disappeared, making Dennis all the more nervous.

He was therefore surprised when Jenny dropped a kiss to his cheek as he opened the car door for her and she said softly, "Thank you."

"What for?"

Jenny gave a small, embarrassed shrug. "For letting me be silent and not cross questioning me like everyone else has done all day."

"…We don't have to go in if you don't feel like it."

"Yes we do, I need to make up for not going to that new restaurant with you. I did try to get reservations there, but they were booked out for weeks."

"We can go there any time, Jen. How about instead, we go up the road to that take-away you like and then we go back to mine, that way you can be quiet all evening if you like."

Jenny smiled and dropped a kiss to his cheek, feeling guilty once more about thinking Dennis never showed he loved her.


	6. Chapter 6

_**my exams start tomorrow and I may not have as much time to write, so I'm posting the remainder of this story in one hit- I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for the reviews**_

Back at Dennis' house, they had eaten dinner mostly in silence and were now sat on the couch. There was quiet music on in the background, but both were lost in their own thoughts.

Jenny hesitated and glanced towards Dennis. "..Dennis?"

"Mmm?"

Jenny nibbled her bottom lip for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Going away instead of talking to you about what was bothering me."

"You still haven't told me what that is."

"Because it doesn't bother me anymore. The time away, and then seeing…well, I realised that I don't want anyone else. Yes, we're different and you may not show you love me in the same way I'm used to, but I've realised I love you just the way you are. I just hope I haven't stopped you loving me with my school girl behaviour."

Dennis' smile grew as he heard her talk and at the end gave a soft laugh.

She looked up, her own smile growing. "It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is. I've been worried this whole time that you were going to finish with me because you'd lost interest, and meanwhile you've spent this whole time worried that I don't love you."

"Maybe we should try talking to each other next time instead of just worrying."

"There's going to be a next time?"

"Oh, there's going to be a lot of next times, Dennis Merton, because I plan on staying around to annoy you and worry you for a very long time."

"I look forward to it."


	7. Chapter 7

Two months later, Jenny was admiring her engagement ring when the surgery door opened. She looked up with a smile as Dennis walked through the door.

"Here to see me?"

"No, I thought Tricia might like to go out to lunch with me."

Jenny's smile widened. "Oh, not sure about that. I heard your fiancée is a very jealous woman."

"Do you think this might help her forgive me?" Dennis put a necklace on the counter.

"My mother's necklace! I thought it was taken in the robbery."

"Aye, it was, but we caught them red-handed this morning at another break in, and one of them still had that in his pocket."

"Thank you!"

As Jenny threw her arms around Dennis, Tricia entered the reception room and rolled her eyes. "I think I preferred you two when you weren't talking."


End file.
